Village in Rae Bareli tense after mud smeared on Ambedkar’s statue

The village of Baburiha, located within the Gadganj police station of Raebareli district, experienced tension on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, following an incident where mud and soot were smeared on a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. This action by unknown individuals sparked outrage among villagers upon their discovery of the statue's condition in the early hours of the morning.

Umesh Gautam, a local resident, expressed the deep anger felt by both Ambedkar's followers and the local community. The Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rae Bareli and the Circle Officer (CO) Unchahar were dispatched to the scene, where they spoke with the distressed villagers and attempted to calm their anger. The situation was subsequently brought under control, with the police vowing to conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate legal action.

The police team arrived at the site, cleaned the statue, and reviewed CCTV footage from the surrounding area. They assured the villagers that they would identify the culprits and ensure swift punishment. The police have also increased their presence in the village as a precautionary measure. In response to the incident, the Congress party accused the event of being a strategic move by feudal forces to demoralize Dalits, pointing out that this is part of a series of such acts in Uttar Pradesh.

They alleged that the targeted community includes supporters of pro-poor ideas, like Rahul Gandhi Ji, as the Leader of Opposition represents Raebareli in the Lok Sabha. Congress national secretary, Shahnawaz Alam, demanded a white paper outlining the government's actions taken in relation to similar incidents across the state, which involved the destruction of Ambedkar statues.